GUNS Magazine May 2012 Digital Edition - Page 8

STORY: Holt Bodinson issC’s moderN sPortiNG rifLe The MK22 recreates the FN SCAR in .22 LR. O ne of the endearing qualities of .22 rimfire firearms is they can be fabricated to replicate just about any centerfire model. Some of the outstanding rimfire examples we’ve covered recently include the Colt M4, HK MP5, Browning 1911-22, S&W M&P 15-22, SIG SAUER P229 and GSG’s 1911. With the lines, dimensions, weight and controls of the real deals, these rimfire clones are invaluable understudies to their centerfire brethren plus they’re inexpensive, cheap and fun to shoot. While they label it with the generic moniker, “Modern Sporting Rifle,” ISSC has cooked up the coolest rimfire clone of an FN SCAR imaginable. Just like the SCAR, it’s right on the cutting edge of modern firearm design. development approval and support. Today, the SCAR family consists of the MK 16 (5.56), the MK 17 (7.62x51), in both selective-fire and semi-automatic versions, and the MK 13 Enhanced Grenade Launcher Module (EGLM), which can be fitted to either of the rifle platforms or configured as a stand-alone launcher. Some of the advantages of the FN SCAR family are that the models have an 83-percent parts commonality, reducing logistical support requirements, a 99-percent maintenance commonality, reducing maintenance training and a 100-percent ergonomic commonality, reducing user training time. More importantly from a user’s point of view, the models are ambidextrous with ambidextrous Even the MK22 magazine is scaled up to 5.56 dimensions. It comes with a 10- or 22-round capacity. the fN sCar The US Special Operations Force Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR) program is the most intriguing small arms development of the post9/11 world. In 2003, the Special Operations community set forth a set of requirements for a new weapons system to replace the aging M16 platform, which has been in service since 1962. Nine vendors submitted their designs in 2004, and only FN’s submissions for 5.56, 7.62 and 40mm grenade models were given further selector switches, magazine releases and an operating handle that can be switched from side-to-side. The MK 16 and MK 17 are modular. By merely changing out the free-floating barrels, a user can configure their rifle for missions ranging from close-quarter combat to long-range sniping with a deviation of less than 1 MOA between barrel changes. The side-folding, polymer buttstock is adjustable for both comb height and length-of-pull. The operating system is a short stroke, gas piston, eliminating the fouling issues associated with the direct gas impingement system of the M16. The The MK22 profile (above) is unmistakably that of the FN SCAR. The side-folding buttstock is adjustable for comb height as well as length-of-pull. With its stock folded, the compact MK22 would prove useful in vehicles and tight places (inset). 8 W W W. G U N S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • M AY 2 0 1 2